The RQAD project has been set up to study a range of
Arabic documents unearthed at Quseir al-Qadim on the the Egyptian Red Sea
coast, dating back to a period of Islamic occupation in the 13th to 15th
centuries. The documents were discovered by the University of Southampton
archaeological team (1999 – 2003). Translations of the documents provide an
interesting look into a network of commercial and religious activities in
Quseir, and its trade links with the hinterland, the Red Sea, and the Indian
Ocean, and provide an exciting source of information for those studying
medieval Islamic history.